Micaceous

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Micaceous Pottery by Jan Cameron
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This four minute slide show will take you through
the process of making a micaceous pot, including
harvesting and preparing the clay, forming the
walls, finishing the surface, and firing. The
clay is hand-dug from natural deposits that have
taken hundreds of thousands of years to form.
The glittering mica occurs naturally in the
clay. The material is distinctive because it
makes excellent cooking ware. This is due to the
insulating properties of the mica. Heat is
retained rather than conducted. Mica also
increases the strength of the vessel walls. All
of the ceramics you see today are lead-free,
glaze free, and safe for cooking and serving.
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The first and most important step in making a
micaceous pot is gathering the raw clay. On the
left is the clay as it appears in the ground.
Below, useable clay is shoveled from a pit into a
bag. Prayers are offered to mother earth for the
life-giving clay that is taken.
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Cleaning involves putting the raw clay into water
and mixing it. The suspended clay slurry is
passed through a window screen. Heavy rocks and
sand remain in the mixer. Light organic debris
is caught in the screen. Clean, relatively pure
clay is held in a sheet-lined vat for drying.
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Excess water is drained from the clay vat to
promote rapid drying. My instructor, Mr. Felipe
V. Ortega, is pictured on the right.
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The clay is mixed repeatedly within the vat to
ensure that the mica, sand, and water are
distributed evenly. The finished paste is
kneaded further to compress the particles and
remove the air bubbles. This step is referred
to as wedging.
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The first step in building involves the selection
of a puki or a form that will be used to create
the vessel base. Today we use bowls of
different shapes and sizes. In the past, potters
used baskets or their fists. The puki first is
lined with mica powder to keep the clay from
sticking to the surface. A flat, circular,
tortilla of clay is placed within it to start
the base.
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Successive coils are added to the base until the
walls are built. Scraping the surface of the wet
clay gives the vessel its characteristic shape.
Scraping also fuses the coils and compacts the
clay so that walls are hard and durable.
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Built pots are allowed to dry in the sun.
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After the pot is dry, the rough edges and
blemishes are ground down with sandstone and
sandpaper. The sanded vessel is ready for
slipping.
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A clay slurry rich in large mica flakes is
applied to the sanded pot. This slip seals the
pores and makes the pot glisten. Polishing with
a smooth stone compresses the mica and creates
the characteristic glow.
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The slip is allowed to dry over several hours.
These waiting pots are now ready to be fired.
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The vessels are preheated before they are fired.
This drives off any remaining excess water that
can cause the pot to explode. They are ready
once they become covered with carbon from the
fire below.
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Here, Mr. Ortega covers the preheated vessels
with a layer pine bark for firing. Fire
clouds will be produced on the surfaces of
vessels that are in contact with the pine bark.
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Firings are accomplished in an earthen kiln or a
rock-lined pit.
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While the pot is still hot from the fire, strands
of hair can be gently draped on the surface. The
hair burns away, leaving an elegant black design
that resembles a lightening bolt.
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These pots are hot out of the kiln. Once
cooled, they can be washed and inspected for
structural imperfections.
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The End